Considering a move to Durham - ADVICE NEEDED! (Raleigh, Greenville: transplants, 2015)

[Professor46]

Hi everyone!

I grew up in PA, lived in Seattle for 13 years and for the last 6 have been in Buffalo, NY. However, I've wanted to live somewhere warmer and Southern for a long time, and am looking to move in early 2015. I have looked into Charleston, Summerville and Greenville in SC, as well as Athens, GA, and Austin, TX. To sum it up, most were either too expensive (Charleston/Austin) too small/conservative (Athens/Greenville) or just got too hot to live outdoors much of the year (Austin), which is my goal.

Anyplace farther North than NC however and I would be colder than I'd want to be; Buffalo in January has highs in the 20's and lows at 0 (or -15 with the wind chill), and lots of snow Ugh! NO MORE!

For the record, I'm a professor (PhD), working teaching distance courses for a major university in the West, so about 70% of my income is from that work, and I'll be looking to fill in the other 30% with something else (hopefully something that gets me out of my home office and interacting with people); with all the colleges and universities in the Triangle, I figure something part-time might come up. Prior to that I was an Assistant Professor with the State University of New York, and also worked in non-profit management for a large cancer research center -- so I have a good skill set and lots of experience.

From what I can tell, Durham looks like an excellent place for me; perfect size population wise, lots of chances for outdoor activities, 4 seasons with a mild Winter, interesting and "gritty" atmosphere, lots to do, employment possibilities, and it's well located (and beaches within a few hours)!

I have a few questions . . .

1.) Right now my budget is more limited -- will it be possible for me to find a decent apartment (small is fine) for $600-800 a month in Durham? I'm cool with a more "transitional" or diverse neighborhood, too.

2.) What are some of the interesting neighborhoods you might recommend - if any?

3.) How liberal/conservative is it? I'm gay, and though I don't flaunt my sexuality, I don't hide it either. I don't care about gay bars, etc. - just more about being able to be around open-minded people.

Thanks for your help!

[behan]

$600 is when you need to be more selective but $700-$800 opens up a TON of options in Durham. Outside of penthouses downtown or directly off Duke East Campus you pretty much have your selection of 1br apartments. "Luxury apartments" in Durham tend to run in that range... meaning quieter, gated, w/d units, thicker walls etc. You can even rent 2-3br houses within your price range - some will have appliances, some won't, and you're generally going to be in more "transitional" areas. Check Craigslist.

BTW Rick Soles (who will come up on Craigslist) is a known slumlord, just sayin... avoid him

Plenty of cool neighborhoods in Durham. Depends on what you're looking for.

And Durham is very liberal politically and somewhat so culturally. I think it's welcoming & accepting to all types, but there are other people here who can probably give you a more informed perspective. I grew up here and I don't bat an eye if I find out someone is gay or if they were raised by two parents of the same gender. It is by no means unheard of here. LGBT Durham home | Durham, NC might be more helpful.

[mike052082]

At that price range and the way you describe yourself, you may find something in the Old North Durham neighborhood.

[Professor46]

Thanks behan and mike052082 - very helpful!

[ozmoe571]

Durham is also hosting the North Carolina Gay Pride parade weekend at the end of this month, and every August the annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival at the Carolina Theatre is one of the biggest of its kind in the Southeast, running 10 days now. Most if not all downtown restaurants and bars are gay friendly, and The Bar itself is the prime gay one, although it caters more to lesbians. Plenty of gay professional, sports and social groups as well, not to mention solid representation at the gyms, although some of these activities may require you to go to Chapel Hill or Raleigh, both about no more than a half hour drive. You'll do fine here.

[Bull City Rising]

All the advice on here is good and on point.

In re neighborhoods, you might consider the following as an expanded shopping list:
- Northgate Park
- Colonial Village
- Duke Park
- Cleveland-Holloway
- Old East Durham
- Old North Durham
- Burch Ave
- West End/Lyon Park
- Tuscaloosa-Lakewood
- Trinity Park
- Trinity Heights
- Walltown
- Watts-Hillandale
- Old West Durham
- Forest Hills
- Morehead Hill
- Rockwood

That addresses both the highly-gentrified, moderately-gentrified and up-and-coming neighborhoods around the downtown core.

Looking at some apartments online, I concur that $600-700 is going to get you either very old apartments in less desirable areas, or newer units in the suburbs further out.

There are almost 2,000 units under construction in downtown Durham; currently, they're all asking north of $1,000 for a unit. However, with so many apartments coming online at once, I suspect you can strike a deal. I would suggest the Whetstone and the Swift Ave. Lofts might be options where you can negotiate discounts (just a hunch). Also, check Craigslist or neighborhood listservs in the above list of locations for info on garage apartments, in-law suites, etc. for rent within neighborhoods.

Good luck!

[Professor46]

Thanks so much ozmoe - this is very helpful!

Originally Posted by ozmoe571

Durham is also hosting the North Carolina Gay Pride parade weekend at the end of this month, and every August the annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival at the Carolina Theatre is one of the biggest of its kind in the Southeast, running 10 days now. Most if not all downtown restaurants and bars are gay friendly, and The Bar itself is the prime gay one, although it caters more to lesbians. Plenty of gay professional, sports and social groups as well, not to mention solid representation at the gyms, although some of these activities may require you to go to Chapel Hill or Raleigh, both about no more than a half hour drive. You'll do fine here.

[behan]

An area that gets overlooked heavily is north of 85. Off Guess Rd, Duke St, and Roxboro St/Rd.

For example: there's a 2br/1b on Craigslist that's off Guess Rd on a quiet residential street. 800$/month. Fridge, stove, w/d all included, central A/C & heat. Fireplace and screened in front porch, tiny 1 car garage, nice sized backyard and front lawn.

You'd be a 5 minute drive from a nice 24hours Kroger, Costco, Home Depot, I-85 which leads to 15-501 or 70, as well as a bunch of stores and restaurants. A short drive to the Eno (since you mentioned wanting to be outdoors) as well as Falls Lake. I-85 is the least congested highway in all of the Triangle. Northern Durham generally has very little traffic and is extremely easy to navigate. It's a quick trip to Northgate, downtown Durham, or around Duke.

The downside? Walk-ability is close to zero. Not that you won't see people walking but it's not like the more central neighborhoods. It is not a bike friendly area either. The housing stock is older, smaller homes. People who relocate to this area seem to be obsessed with new construction, new roads, new parks etc. This is not going to be a sparkling new neighborhood like some people might want. It will be lower income/more blue collar feeling than a lot of parts of West/South Durham but it is not a high crime area either. It's not trendy and you will be isolated (by a 10-15 minute drive) from the night life and fine dining.

It tends to be more quiet and a lot of the neighborhoods have people who are local to the area versus the more central ones which might have transplants who are vocal about how much they love Durham and their neighborhoods - not that there's anything wrong with that. So networking and meeting new people might be more work than if you are living in a more central neighborhood.

It's just another option as areas are gentrifying at a very rabid rate. A lot of the spots where you could find great deals on rentals are getting harder and harder to find. Not that they're still not there. But there's more competition now that crime is down and neighborhoods are being fixed up (as well as the population continues to grow).

[Professor46]

Thanks so much for this reply Bull City Rising! That's quite the list of neighborhoods.

My budget is in the $600-800 range for now, and truthfully a small space (studio or 1-BR) would be more than fine. Clean and safe is more important than granite countertops. :-) Actually, something a little funky and historic would be perfect.

Are you aware of a good map that shows where these neighborhoods are located? So far I haven't been able to find anything.

Jeff

Originally Posted by Bull City Rising

All the advice on here is good and on point.

In re neighborhoods, you might consider the following as an expanded shopping list:
- Northgate Park
- Colonial Village
- Duke Park
- Cleveland-Holloway
- Old East Durham
- Old North Durham
- Burch Ave
- West End/Lyon Park
- Tuscaloosa-Lakewood
- Trinity Park
- Trinity Heights
- Walltown
- Watts-Hillandale
- Old West Durham
- Forest Hills
- Morehead Hill
- Rockwood

That addresses both the highly-gentrified, moderately-gentrified and up-and-coming neighborhoods around the downtown core.

Looking at some apartments online, I concur that $600-700 is going to get you either very old apartments in less desirable areas, or newer units in the suburbs further out.

There are almost 2,000 units under construction in downtown Durham; currently, they're all asking north of $1,000 for a unit. However, with so many apartments coming online at once, I suspect you can strike a deal. I would suggest the Whetstone and the Swift Ave. Lofts might be options where you can negotiate discounts (just a hunch). Also, check Craigslist or neighborhood listservs in the above list of locations for info on garage apartments, in-law suites, etc. for rent within neighborhoods.

Good luck!

[Bull City Rising]

Originally Posted by Professor46

Thanks so much for this reply Bull City Rising! That's quite the list of neighborhoods.

My budget is in the $600-800 range for now, and truthfully a small space (studio or 1-BR) would be more than fine. Clean and safe is more important than granite countertops. :-) Actually, something a little funky and historic would be perfect.

Are you aware of a good map that shows where these neighborhoods are located? So far I haven't been able to find anything.

Jeff

Glad this was helpful! A great map of Durham neighborhoods including links to their listservs/web pages is at: Durham Hoods | Neighborhood Maps & Mailing List Hub – Durham, NC

The Durham CVB (convention and visitors bureau) has very helpful resources online and in print on relocating.

Behan's advice to look north of I-85 is also very good. We live closer to downtown now, but my wife and I initially lived in older apartments near the Croasdaile area, at corner of Carver/Front St. There are a number of options in that area, though again trading off walkability.